Tuesday, July 23, 2013

World Building for Writers by Tom Lucas

It's day 2 of the Blogger Book Fair! I'm pleased to welcome author Tom Lucas. He teaches a world-building course in a Creative Writing BFA program, and shares some great tips on the topic.

Also check out Tom Lucas's novel, Leather to the Corinthians, "an absurd postmodern fable that defiantly flips a middle finger at modern American life. Through the perspectives of its multiple characters, it explores the absurdities of organized religion, the military, big business, fast food, advertising, sex, and the media. Witty, with bitter undertones, its story possesses a satirical spirit as it plays with traditional story structure, phrasing and cultural references. Its multiple layers encourage return visits as its characters have many more unique tales to tell."

Now, take it away, Tom!

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Welcome to the Blogger Book Fair! What’s most exciting to me
about this event is the great diversity amongst the writers, bloggers, and
books that are participating this week.

It’s a bit trite, but there is truly something for everyone
here. I hope that you have the chance to find something great to add to your
reading list. Taking a look around, I see many thrilling stories, exciting
characters, and my personal favorite – bold new worlds.

I am always intrigued by imaginative settings – epic fantasy
realms, speculative futures, or mysterious ancient worlds. I suppose it’s this
love for a rich backdrop that would lead me to teach a research for
world-building course in a Creative Writing BFA program.

Many of my students are overwhelmed when they first sit down
to design a world. It requires considering a multitude of factors, conducting
thorough research, and some mental heavy lifting. We’re talking about building
a world, and as mere mortals, it will take us more than 6 days.

To help aspiring writers (perhaps you) to build a world that
is logical, plausible, and authentic, I have created a simple system to help
build a foundation that will support a world for its lifetime.

WORLD BUILDING FOR
BEGINNERS:

RESEARCH:

In order to create a world that engage an audience, it must
have rules. It must have an internal logic, no matter how wild or fantastic.
The writer must use research to support their ideas. Many consider “research”
to be a bad word, so let’s reframe it. Research = exploration and
discovery.It’s about answering
questions, and it’s important to know what questions you need to answer before
beginning research -- otherwise it’s just wandering aimlessly around the garden
of knowledge.

It’s my suggestion that you parcel out the research in
stages.

LOCATION RESEARCH:

Begin the research by considering the location or locations
in your world. What do you need to know in order to describe and detail the
environment? Brainstorm a list of words or phrases that define the questions
you have. Think of geography, weather, climate, flora, fauna, population –
anything that pertains to the immediate, physical world of your story.

It doesn’t matter what kind of world you are building. There
is always something from the world around us that can be applied to your
creation. Fantasy stories often draw upon what we know about Medieval Europe.
Science fiction, well, what’s the first word? SCIENCE. Connect your imagination
with facts and it will feel real and vital.

Once you have established the locations of your world and
how they work, it’s time to open your mind to the slippery concept of time
period.

TIME PERIOD RESEARCH:

Think of the time period of your story as the moment in time
in which the story takes place. What is the history of your world? How has it
influenced the “now” of the story? What defines life in this moment for your
characters? Think about technology, society, fashion, etc.

Look at the world around you. How does it affect you? How
would you perform your normal daily tasks 100 years ago? 100 years in the
future?

Another way that you can consider this concept: New York in
2013 is a different place than New York in 2000, or 1983, or 1883. What are
those differences?

Ask yourself these questions and determine what you need to
know in order to truly define the “moment in which the story takes place”.

DETAILS RESEARCH: Now that you have handled the physical
environment as well as the time period, you should now take a look at the
little details that make a world special. It’s time to add those unique and
memorable touches that will make your world stand out. These can be details
such as props (weapons, personal effects, clothing/costuming, etc), set pieces
or sub-locations, mythologies, and more. Anything that is specific to your
world applies here. This is the free-for-all stage in your research, so have
fun.

Think of the stories and worlds that you love, and use the
details that made you adore them to inspire you to create your details.

START WRITING: Now you have a solid world concept that is
supported by research and your creativity. It’s time to start writing that
story.

About Tom:

Tom Lucas was born and raised in Detroit, and although
currently enjoying the lack of snow and ice in Florida, remains a son of the
post-industrial apocalypse.

Throughout his childhood, Tom found solace in comic books,
Star Wars action figures, movies, cartoons, and video games.His passion for media, as well as story, has
carried him through his adult life.

Tom is the author of Leather to the Corinthians, a surreal
dystopian satire, a college professor, blogger, poet, book reviewer, and spoken
word performer.

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About Me

Sharon Bayliss is the author of The December People Series and The Charge. When she’s not writing, she enjoys living happily-ever-after with her husband and two young sons. She can be found eating Tex-Mex on patios, wearing flip-flops, and playing in the mud (which she calls gardening). She only practices magic in emergencies.